SF Giants’ home now called Oracle Park after AT&T split

1of35A rendering provided by the Giants shows how the San Francisco ballpark will look with the new Oracle name.Photo: San Francisco Giants

2of35The San Francisco Giants have had storied history in the Bay Area since moving to SF in 1958. Click ahead to check out the lowest and highest moments in the franchise's history.

3of35The Stick's reputation as windy stadium sealedLet's start with the lows...Candlestick Park's reputation for strong, swirling winds that could effect action on the diamond was sealed in the ninth inning of the first 1961 All-Star Game. After a day of calm conditions, the powerful gust of wind appeared to cause Giants relief pitcher Stu Miller to slip off the pitching rubber in the middle of his delivery, which resulted in a balk, scoring the opposing American League a runThe National League still won the game, but Miller, shown in this file photo at the 1961 All Star Game, getting blown off the mound was cemented in history.Photo: Gordon Peters, The Chronicle

4of351962 World Series, McCovey's hit and the PeanutsThe San Francisco Giants made it to the World Series in 1962, the first time they reached the Series after moving to SF. They faced off against the New York Yankees, taking the series to a full seven games, and were down 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7.The Giants had two outs when Hall of Famer Willie McCovey hit a line drive right to Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson, which he snagged after a step or two, bringing the series to a sudden end. In December of 1962, Peanuts creator (and Giants fan) Charles Schulz referenced McCovey's hit when Charlie Brown said "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?"A few weeks later, Schulz referenced the hit again when Charlie Brown said "Or why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just TWO feet higher?" In this file photo from Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, McCovey holds the two reprints of the Peanuts comic strip at his Woodside, Calif., home on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012.Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

5of35Bob Lurie buys Giants, keeps them in SFDuring the first half of the 1970s, attendance to Giants games plummeted and then-owner Horace Stoneham, facing financial hardship, sought to sell the team. Stoneham nearly sold the team to a group in Toronto, which was going to move the team there, but Bob Lurie stepped in and bought the team for $8 million.In this file photo from 1992, many years after he bought the team, Lurie strolls around Candlestick Park, ironically after speaking to the press about possibly moving the team to San Jose.Photo: Deanne Fitzmaurice, The Chronicle

6of35Giants shrink in the 1970sNearly the entire decade of the 1970s was bad for the Giants. In addition to nearly moving to Toronto in 1976, the team didn't finish higher than third place in any year (except for in 1971) and had several players leave the team, only to find success with other franchises. Among them were Garry Maddox, George Foster, Dave Kingman and Gaylord Perry.A young fan, six-year-old Phillip Nelson tried on a new batting helmet at the 1978 San Francisco Giants opening day, at Candlestick Park in this file photo from April 8, 1978.Photo: Jerry Telfer, The Chronicle

7of35Giants lose 100 games, most in franchise history1985 was the worst year in Giants history, at least in terms of wins and losses. The team lost 100 games that season, the worst in the franchise's history, under rookie manager Jim Davenport, who was replaced before the end of the season by Roger Craig (shown here, right).In this photo from the 1986 season, Craig talks with general manager Al Rosen, also brought on in an attempt to turn around the team, before the start of a game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Craig would go on to turn around the team, finishing his first five full seasons with winning records.Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images

8of35Loma Prieta earthquake interrupts Bay Bridge SeriesThe Giants faced off against the Oakland A's in the 1989 World Series in what was dubbed the "Bay Bridge Series." It was the first cross-town World Series in 33 years and there hasn't been one since. The Athletics were up 2-0 in the series when it headed over the bridge to Candlestick Park.Then, moments before Game 3 of the series was supposed to start, the Loma Prieta Earthquake hit, which was the largest earthquake in the region since the 1906 quake destroyed much of the city. It took the lives of 63 people and injured over 3,500. Candlestick Park suffered damage to its upper deck from pieces of concrete falling from the top of the stadium. The series wouldn't resume for another 10 days, when the Giants lost Game 3 to the A's. They ended up getting swept by the A's and losing the series. In this file photo, Giants' Brett Butler stands with his family at Candlestick Park moments after the Loma Prieta earthquake hit, postponing Game 3 of the 1989 World Series.Photo: Bettmann / Contributor

9of35Lurie sells the team, it almost moves againBob Lurie, who previously saved the Giants from moving to Toronto, toyed with moving the Giants to San Jose in 1991 before putting the team up for sale in 1992. A group of investors from Tampa Bay nearly bought the team and moved them to Florida, but the league rejected the deal.Eventually the team was bought by an investment group that included Safeway CEO Peter Magowan, Harmon Burns and his wife Sue. Lurie, former owner of the Giants, gives a press conference discussing a possible move to San Jose by 1996 in this file photo from January 15, 1991. To his left is Mayor of San Jose, Susan Hammer. To Lurie's right, city councilman, Joe Head.Photo: Steve Ringman, The Chronicle

10of35Strike costs Matt Williams chance at HR recordThe 1994 Major League Baseball season ended in the dead of the summer, costing baseball fans a chance to enjoy what was the national pastime. At the time, the Giants were having an (at best) mediocre season just a year after nearly the National League West division.The strike also cost Giants third baseman Matt Williams a chance at topping Roger Maris' home run record. When the strike began, Williams had 43 home runs in 115 team games and was on pace to hit 60 home runs. In this file photo from 1994, Williams closes his eyes after flying out in the eighth inning in a losing effort to the Colorado Rockies.Photo: Chris Stewart, The Chronicle / Chris Stewart

11of35After nearly 40 years, Giants leave The StickThe 1999 Giants season was the team's final one playing at Candlestick Park. After serving as the team's home for 39 years, the Giants were set to move to what was then called Pacific Bell Park (now called AT&T Park).Although the Giants lost their last game in Candlestick Park on Sept. 30, 1999, a California Highway Patrol helicopter airlifted home plate from The Stick and took it to where the Giants' new home was being built. The stadium continued being used by the San Francisco 49ers until 2013. Workers demolish Candlestick Park in this file photo from Feb. 4, 2015.Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle

12of35Baker, Bonds lead Giants to the World Series. Giants lose to Angels.In Dusty Baker's final season as the Giants' manager, he and Barry Bonds led the team to the World Series, where they faced off against the Anaheim Angels and lost the series 4-3.Probably the most memorable moment from the series is shown in this Oct. 24, 2002 file photo. Giants' J.T. Snow, left, drags 3-year-old Darren Baker, son of then-Giants manager Baker, away from home plate and the path of oncoming baserunner David Bell, after Snow scored in the seventh inning of Game 5 of baseball's World Series in San Francisco.Photo: Kevork Djansezian, Associated Press

13of35BALCO, Bonds and a legacy at stakeIn a June 2003 article in "Muscle and Fitness," Barry Bonds described his training regimen with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO). Months later, BALCO founder Victor Conte was accused by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of supplying athletes with a new designer steroid that was rocking the world of track and field. And so began the Bonds-BALCO-steroid saga.In 2004, Bonds told a grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream supplied by BALCO, but said he never thought they were steroids. Bonds arrives at the San Francisco Federal Court House Thursday, Dec. 4, 2004, to testify before a federal grand jury in this file photo.Photo: Frederic Larson, The Chronicle

14of35Giants fan beaten by Dodgers fans on Opening DayThe Giants' long-standing rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers turned ugly on the first opening day following their 2010 World Series victory. The two teams faced off to open the season and after the game two men in Dodgers gear attacked Giants fan Bryan Stow, critically injuring him.The Giants rallied to support Stow in the wake of the attack. In this file photo from Thursday, April 16, 2015, Stow walks off the field after throwing the ceremonial first pitch for the San Jose Giants' minor league baseball home opener Stow was left brain damaged after an attack outside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 2011.Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

15of35Giants on track to have worst season ever...in all of baseballThe Giants have been historically bad during the 2017 season. As of Wednesday, July 19, 2017, the team had the worst record in the MLB and are on pace to have the worst record in the history of the league. Because of their poor performance, ticket sales for Giants' home sales are approaching historic lows.The Giants' Joe Panik reacts to striking out with the bases loaded and one out in the 9th inning against Cleveland Indians at AT&T Park in San Francisco in this file photo from Tuesday, July 18, 2017.Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

16of35The NY Giants become the SF GiantsNow onto the highs...In 1958 the Giants moved from New York to San Francisco, playing their first two seasons at Seals Stadium. This photo, taken from the SF Chronicle archives, is from the Giants' opening day the first season they played in San Francisco.Photo: The Chronicle 1958

17of35From Seals Stadium to 'The Stick'In 1960, the San Francisco Giants moved from Seals Stadium to Candlestick Park, affectionately known as "The Stick," where'd they stay for 40 years.This photo, from the Giants' opening day at the Giants' new stadium in 1960 shows then-Mayor George Christopher tossing the first pitch, with Vice President Richard M. Nixon in attendance.Photo: Peter Breinig, The Chronicle

18of35Say Hey Kid hits four HRs in one gameOn April 30, 1961, San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays enter rarefied air when he hit four home runs against the Milwaukee Braves. Only eight Major League Baseball players had accomplished that feat before him, and only eight have accomplished it since.In this file photo from that day, Mays proudly displays the four baseballs in the clubhouse representing the four homers which he hit against the Braves in Milwaukee. The Giants won that game 14-4 and his homers in that game accounted for eight runs batted in.Photo: DVN, AP

19of35Brother Alou takeover the outfieldIn the eighth inning of the Giants' game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Sept. 15, 1963, Jesus Alou joined his brothers Matty and Felipe in the outfield, making MLB history. It was the first and only time that three brothers made up the outfield of a Major League team. The Giants won that game 13-5.In this file photo, taken five days before they made history, from left, Jesus, Matty and Felipe, of the Dominican Republic, pose in a three-way hand shake before start of a baseball game with the New York Mets at New York's Polo Grounds.Photo: AP

20of35Mays becomes Giants' first MVPBefore the Giants moved to SF, Willie Mays was making headlines for his play, which would eventually earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame. But he became the franchise's first MVP after they moved to SF when he won the National League MVP award in 1965.That season he batted .317, had 177 hits, scored 118 runs, knocked in another 112 and hit 52 home runs. In this file photo from July 12, 1965, Mays slides into home plate under the glove of Philadelphia catcher Pat Corrales in Philadelphia.Photo: Ap

21of35McCormick becomes first Giant to win Cy Young AwardIn 1967, the Giants' southpaw pitcher Mike McCormick, shown here in this file photo from UPI, became the first Giant to win the Cy Young Award. That season, he won 22 games, had a 2.85 ERA (the second lowest of his career), struck out 150 batters and pitched 262 innings.The Giants wouldn't have another Cy Young Award winner for over 40 years, with Tim Lincecum winning the award in 2008.Photo: UPI, SFC

22of35Mays hits 600th home runOn Sept. 22, 1969, Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays hit his 600th home run. He went on to knock 60 more home runs out of the park in his career and is still the leading Giants' home run hitter, with 646 home runs while wearing black and orange.In this file photo from Aug. 16, 1966, Russ Hodges interviews Mays after the Giants outfielder hit his 534th home run in a 5-2 win over the Houston Astros.Photo: Associated Press

23of35Giants hire National League's first black managerIn 1981, the Giants hired Frank Robinson as its skipper and became the first National League team to hire a black manager. Robinson, who had already broken several racial barriers in the MLB as a player and manager, was unsuccessful with the Giants and lasted less than four seasons with the franchise.This file photo, from the 1983 season, shows Robinson looking on during the Giants' batting practice before a game.Photo: Focus On Sport / Contributor

24of35NL wins last All-Star game at Candlestick ParkCandlestick Park hosted its second and last All-Star game in 1984, which the National League won 3-1.In this file photo from July 10, 1984, Giants catcher Bob Brenly and outfielder Chili Davis, the only representatives from the Giants, are shown at the 1984 All-Star Game.Photo: Frederic Larson, The Chronicle

25of35Giants reach playoffs for first time since 1971The Giants won 90 games on their way to capturing the Western Division title in 1987. It was the first time the team made the playoffs in 16 years. The team reached the National League Championship Series that year, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.Giants Chili Davis is hugged by teammate Eddie Milner and gets high fives from others after crossing the plate on a hit by Will Clark to score a run against the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series at Candlestick Park in this file photo from Friday, Oct. 9, 1987.Photo: Lennox McLendon, ASSOCIATED PRESS

26of35Barry Bonds era begins in SFBefore Peter Magowan's investment group officially owned the Giants, they signed former Pittsburgh Pirates' slugger Barry Bonds. The deal was initially struck down by the league, but terms were negotiated to protect former owner Bob Lurie and Bonds if the deal failed.Bonds, who father Bobby also played for the Giants, arrived in SF with a splash. He played his best season up to that point (46 home runs, 123 RBIs and .336 batting average) while leading the Giants to 103 wins. Bonds is shown here reacting after his two-run homer against the San Diego Padres in San Francisco in this file photo from Sept. 24, 1993.Photo: Susan Ragan, AP

27of35Bonds joins the 40-40 club, second player to do itGiants outfielder Barry Bonds hit 42 home runs and stole 40 bases during the 1996 season. He was the second player in Major League history to accomplish such a feat, joining what's become known as the 40-40 club.During that season, he also batted in 121 runs and had a .308 batting average. Bonds bats during the 1996 All-Star Home Run Derby in this file photo from July 8, 1996 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.Photo: The Sporting News, Getty Images

28of35Giants move into AT&T ParkThe Giants started a new millennium in a new stadium, which was called Pacific Bell Park at the time. In 2003, Pacific Bell was bought by SBC Communications and, for a year, the park was called SBC Park. Then, in 2005, then name was given its current moniker, AT&T Park.In their first year in the park, the Giants won the National League West division with a 97-65 record. They reached the National League Division Series, where they lost to the New York Mets in four games.

29of35Bonds captures single-season HR recordGiants slugger Barry Bonds was one of the biggest stories of the 2001 MLB season as he chased Mark McGwire's single-season home run record. As he approached the record, opposing pitchers began walking him, leaving many wondering whether or not he would break the record.But on October 5, 2001, Bonds broke the record by hitting his 71st and 72nd home runs of the season against the Dodgers and their pitcher Chan Ho Park. He'd go on to hit one more home run that season, making the MLB record for home runs in a single season 73. Bonds watches a grand slam sail out of the park in the bottom of the sixth inning during the Giants game against the Florida Marlins at AT&T Park in this file photo from Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2001.Photo: KENDRA LUCK/SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

30of35Former Giant leads team to one of its best seasonsFelipe Alou was hired as the Giants skipper in 2003 and he didn't disappoint, at least that season. In 2003, the Giants won at least 100 games for only the third time since they moved to San Francisco.They also led the National League West division every day of the regular season, becoming only the ninth team to accomplish such a feat in MLB history. That season the team reached the National League Division Series, where they lost to the Florida Marlins, the eventual World Series champs.Photo: Kate Wade, SFC

31of35Bonds era in SF ends with several bangsDespite the steroid controversy that plagued much of the end of Barry Bonds' career, his ambition on the diamond didn't let up. In his last season with the Giants, Bonds excited fans and drew the ire of others while chasing Hank Aaron's all-time home run record of 755.Well, he captured Aaron's record in August of the 2007 season with one of the 28 home runs he hit in his final year. He's shown here hitting his 756th home run in front of Washington Nationals catcher Brian Schneider in San Francisco in this file photo from August 7, 2007. The home run gave Bonds the all-time home run record in Major League Baseball. Aaron appeared on screen after he hit the home run and congratulated Bonds.Bonds was not re-signed by the Giants in the offseason and didn't return to the MLB to play for any other team. In 2017, Bonds rejoined the Giants as a special advisor to the franchise's CEO and was added into the Giants Wall of Fame.Photo: DINO VOURNAS, REUTERS

32of35Lincecum bursts onto the sceneTim Lincecum went 7-5 with the Giants in 2007, but in 2008, the franchise's first season without Barry Bonds since 2008, he 18-5 and won the NL Cy Young Award. He was the first Giants pitcher to win the award since Mike McCormick did it in 1967.He would go on to win the Cy Young Award again in 2009, becoming the first pitcher ever to win the award in their first two full seasons in the MLB. Lincecum pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park in this July 11, 2014 file photo in San Francisco.Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

33of35Giants win the World SeriesThe Giants 2010 season may have been labeled "torture" by the Bay Area baseball press, but it was also the year that the franchise won its first World Series since moving to SF in 1958. On their way to the championship, the Giants went 92-70 during the regular season. They beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 to capture SF's first professional sports championship since the 49ers won the Super Bowl in 1995.Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria contemplated retirement during the 2010 season as he appeared mostly off the bench, but was named the 2010 World Series MVP after knocking in two series-winning hits. In this file photo from Nov. 1, 2010, Renteria holds the Commissioner's Trophy.Photo: Michael Macor, San Francisco Chronicle

34of35Second World Series win in three yearsThe Giants won their second World Series in three years by sweeping the Detroit Tigers. Giants' third baseman Pablo Sandoval was named MVP of the series after batting .500 in the series and hitting three home runs in Game 1. With this win, the Giants were on the brink of a certifiable dynasty.Sandoval screams after scoring in the 3rd inning of game 7 of the NLCS at AT&T Park in this file photo from Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 in San Francisco.Photo: Beck Diefenbach, The Chronicle

35of35Giants: A modern-day baseball dynasty?The Giants won their third World Series in six years in 2014 by defeating the Kansas City Royals 4-3 in the championship round. The win sparked a debate over whether or not the Giants' three championships in six years made them a modern-day baseball dynasty.Pticher Madison Bumgarner was named MVP of the World Series after allowing only a single run in the 21 innings he played during the series. Buster Posey and Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants hug in celebration after defeating the Kansas City Royals to win Game 7 of the 2014 World Series by a score of 3-2 at Kauffman Stadium in this file photo from Oct. 29, 2014 in Kansas City, Mo.Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images

Tell AT&T Park goodbye, Giants fans.

Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and their mates henceforth will play ball at Oracle Park.

The Giants on Thursday will announce a 20-year agreement with the Redwood City technology company to affix its name to their waterfront ballpark in San Francisco.

Terms of the deal are not being disclosed, but in an interview Wednesday, Giants President and CEO Larry Baer termed it “very much in line with other recent naming-rights deals for top-tier facilities.”

That could make it worth $300 million to $350 million, a significant increase over the roughly $100 million the Giants received over 23 years in the original naming-rights and marketing deal that they signed with an AT&T predecessor in 1996.

The change is effective immediately. The AT&T signs that were installed in 2006 are being removed, to be replaced Thursday with temporary Oracle Park banners.

Under the agreement, the Giants get substantially more revenue and a name tied to a well-known Silicon Valley tech giant. Oracle gets to place its name on another Bay Area sports venue now that the Warriors are moving to the new Chase Center in San Francisco, and the arena in Oakland will be renamed.

As for Giants fans, they must get accustomed to a fourth name for the ballpark since it opened as Pacific Bell Park in 2000.

This change will be harder to accept for some fans because they celebrated three World Series championships, an All-Star Game and the Barry Bonds’ record-setting 756th home run at a park they knew as AT&T.

But that’s the nature of sports marketing.

AT&T’s naming rights were to end after the 2019 season, but during their exclusive window to renegotiate during the final quarter of 2018 they told the Giants they were going in a different strategic direction, Baer said.

AT&T gave the Giants the option of ending their deal a year early if the team could find a new partner in short order. The Giants called about a half-dozen of their marketing partners to gauge interest, Baer said, and Oracle jumped in.

“The organizations know one another well,” Baer said. “That’s the only way we were able to get a deal this quickly. It was hatched over the holidays.

“It’s an iconic park, and we kind of view it as a landmark. We said early on we want this park to age gracefully to the point we can feel like what Fenway might feel like in Boston, and Wrigley might feel in Chicago.

“Nobody knows this park, other than AT&T, better than Oracle.”

Oracle CEO Mark Hurd said making this investment was a no-brainer, given a long-standing partnership with the Giants and the visibility it gained by the Warriors’ three NBA championships over the past four years while playing at Oracle Arena.

Hurd said there was “no question” their experience at the Oakland venue played a part in their decision to deal with the Giants.

Oracle has sponsored the suite level at China Basin since 2003 and conducted other business with the Giants. Most notable, Oracle holds a concert at the ballpark during its annual OpenWorld conference every fall.

During the 2011 conference, the Giants presented Oracle founder and Chairman Larry Ellison with a World Series championship ring.

“There’s been a lot of trust built up between the two organizations over the years,” Hurd said. “We think there’s some really exciting things we can do with the park going forward, innovative things we can do to help both the fan experience and community.”

Part of that is using Oracle’s technological know-how to boost automation and information delivery at the ballpark, which will be named for a Bay Area company for the first time in more than 15 years.

The Giants sold the original naming rights to now-defunct Pacific Telesis in 1996, four years before the stadium opened. The San Francisco-based “Baby Bell” agreed to pay about $50 million over 24 years, including $23 million up front to help build the park.

The name was changed to SBC Park in 2003 after the Texas-based firm bought Pacific Telesis, and then to AT&T Park three years later when SBC bought AT&T and adopted the more recognizable name. AT&T is based in Dallas.

The original naming-rights deal was amended amid the name changes, and with an expanded marketing partnership, it grew to more than $100 million, averaging about $5 million a year. But over two decades the annual fee fell far below the going rate.

In 2013, AT&T paid a reported $17 million to $19 million a year to affix its name to the palatial new Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Oracle, founded in 1977, is a $40 billion business software company that has 137,000 employees.

“We really like the fact that Oracle is a local company,” Baer said. “They’re not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere. Having a Bay Area-based company with the naming rights was a consideration.”

Henry Schulman has covered the San Francisco Giants since 1988, starting with the Oakland Tribune and San Francisco Examiner before moving to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1998. His career has spanned the "Earthquake World Series" in 1989 and the Giants' three World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014. In between, he covered Barry Bonds' controversial career with the Giants, including Bonds ' successful quests for home-run records and his place in baseball's performance-enhancing drugs scandal. Known for his perspective and wit, Henry also appears frequently on radio and television talking Giants, and is a popular follow on Twitter.